Spyware Blocker Almost Law
By now anyone who has a computer or knows someone who does, has heard about spyware. Spyware is similar to the notorious computer
viruses and worms in that it potentially can harm a person's information stored on a hard drive. Yet spyware is also a means by which this
same information can be stolen from your computer and so used to illegally utilize your credit cards and bank account. This technology has
been facilitated by downloads with spyware embedded into it.
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While this sounds almost surreal and a distant problem unrelated to most people, the fact is that over 1 in 2 computers in
America is so infected. Further, in terms of cold hard numbers, the reality is that tens of thousands of people have
suffered from the more serious effects of this software, including having all of their savings account cleaned out without their
knowledge. As well, spyware is one of the leading means by which identity theft is carried out.
To date, while it is illegal to download spyware onto a person's computer without their knowledge or consent, legal loopholes
and user ignorance has helped most spyware manufacturers from prosecution, almost giving thieves a red carpet in their
industry. In fact, while there have been companies that sell one type of spyware blocker or another to stop these insidious
programs, some of the companies which manufacture spyware software have actually tried to sue these spyware blocker companies
from barring their particular programs.
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While this sounds almost unimaginable, stranger still is that while legislators have attempted to make the disbursement of such heinous software
illegal, the attempts have failed repeatedly. Amongst other reasons, this is due to lobbying on the part of the aforementioned
companies. As an analogy, this would be the same as a collective of thieves working together to wine & dine the senators and other
congressional members for the purpose of making theft legal.
Now, thankfully, a new 'spyware blocker' law is being written which is gaining a large momentum to alleviate this problem. If successful,
the Federal Trade Commission will become the governmental body overseeing enforcement, along with the subsequent services of district
attorneys. This law will target not only distributors of spyware, but of adware as well.
Should the spyware blocker proposal not pass into law, however, it is up to every individual to write to his or her newspaper editorial page and
to local and state representatives, to make more people aware of this problem.
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